Resolution Appealing to the United States Government to Broker Lasting Peace Based Upon Fairness in Syria

WHEREAS, the Country of Syria has been victimized by a ravaging War over the past two and a half years;

AND WHEREAS on April 22, 2013 two Orthodox Archbishops were abducted in the suburbs of Aleppo and their whereabouts continues to remain a mystery not having received any information from their abductors;

AND WHEREAS, in the recent past, members of the clergy have been murdered and houses of worship decimated and destroyed by armed militants opposing the government of Syria;

AND WHEREAS, many citizens of Syria have demanded civil liberties, democratic values and economic stability;

AND WHEREAS, as a result of this illegitimate war countless lives have been lost and more than two million Syrian citizens have been forced to flee their homes and reduced to the status of refugees and are now seeking refuge in Lebanon, Jordan and other parts of the world; there has been billions of dollars in property damage and the country of Syria, a cradle of the beginning of civilization, now lies in ruins;

AND WHEREAS, foreign countries have been meddling in the affairs of Syria and thousands of foreign militants have come to Syria bringing pillage, death and destruction;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the General Assembly of this 51st Archdiocesan Convention, duly assembled at Houston, Texas from July 21-28, 2013, hereby calls upon the governments of the United States, England, France, Germany, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, to cease supplying the militants who oppose the government of Syria, with the means of destruction; We call upon the Syrian government and all militant opposition forces to cease any further conflict and bring an immediate end to this “bloodshed” and engage in peaceful dialogue in order to spare the further loss of innocent lives of the Syrian citizens; We call upon our United States Government to cease supplying additional weapons and arms to the militant opposition forces and to be the catalyst for a lasting peace for the sake of the citizens of Syria and stability in the region and international peace.